Hingeless receptacle cover



Jan. 14, 1930.

G. A. LINDSTEDT HINGELESS RECEPTACLE COVER Filed Dec. 28. 1927 Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUSTAF A. LINDSTEDT, or STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM or AK'IIE- BOLLAGET LINHAM, or sroc noL swn-nnn HINGELESS RECEPTACIJE- COVER Application filed December 28, 1927, Serial No. 243,174, and in Sweden February 5, 1927.

This invention relates to receptacles having hingeless' covers of the type in which thecover is provided with a fulcrum member to engage the edge of the receptacle in such a way as to allow of the opening and closing of the cover by a swinging movement. It is already known in connection with such receptacles to use a spring to effect an automatic closing of the cover. Furthermore, it is known to form said fulcrum member of such a curvature thatin the opening and closing movements of the cover that point at which said spring engages the cover will move parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle so that the lever arm by which the spring acts on the cover with respect to the momentary bearing point of said fulcrum member will remain approximately constant in all positions of the cover, also including completely open position, thus allowing the spring to close the cover without fail, when released. In order to guide the cover against lateral displacements ears are formed on the cover at opposite sides thereof to bear against the outer surface of the receptacle.

Receptacle covers of the design above described satisfy high requirements as to a practical and inexpensive cover but suffer from the drawback that the cover due to a sudden or careless handling in opening it might be displaced backwardly unintentionally so as to assume a position in which the spring will be incapable of closing the cover or overstrained. Moreover, the cover is not guided against lateral displacements. This may result in the cover remaining open, permitting dust and dirt to enter the receptacle, thus eliminating or reducing the protecting effect of the cover. Furthermore, the cover, in its opening movement, may be moved so far upwards as to bring said ears out of engagement with the receptacle thereby allowing a lateral displacement of the cover with the same result as above mentioned.

In order to,- overcome said inconveniences the receptacle accordingv to this invention is provided with meansto' positively guide the cover backwardly and forwards at the same time limiting the opening movement of the cover. Accordingto a preferred embodiment of the invention impressions or grooves are formed in the wall of the receptacle to be engaged by the projecting ears of the cover, said impressions or grooves ending at a oistance from the upper edge of the receptacle. Those portions of the ears engaging said impressions or grooves are, preferably, so positioned as to likewise move in a rectilinear path in the opening and closing movements of the cover. Thus, the groves may be made straight and may be easily formed by any suitable drawing or impressing operation.

According to another embodiment of the invention the cover is formed with bearing surfaces engaging the inside of the receptacle to guide the cover backwardly and, if desired, also laterally. The guiding ears of the cover and the impressions or grooves formed in the receptacles may in such case be so arranged as to guide the cover forwards and laterally only and limit the cover in its up ward swinging movement.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of an oil cup constructed in accordance with this invention, with the cover shown in closed position. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the oil cup, with the cover shown in open state, and with parts of the cup proper-broken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cup as seen from below. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the cup, with the cover removed. Fig. 5 1s a part sectional elevation of a cup according to a modified embodiment of the invention, with the cover shown in full lines in open position and in dotted lines in closed position. Fig. 6 is a section on the line A B in Fig. 5, with the cover in closed position.

In the drawing the invention, as already stated, is illustrated as applied to an oil cup, that is, a receptacle to retain and distribute lubricant to bearing surfaces. ceptacle proper, indicated in the drawing by the reference numeral 3 is shown with a wider upper and reduced lower portion both of which are open at their ends. The wider or upper end is adapted to be normally kept closer by a cover, indicated as awhole by the numeral 1. Said cover is formed with a circumferentially, disposed skirting flange 2 The cup or reengaging, in the closed state of the cover, the

bevelled, upper edge of the receptacle 1 so the cover, as by soldering, riveting or in a similar way, is a fulcrum member 6 which may be formed integrally with the cover, if desired. Secured with its one end to a transverse pin 8 formed integrally with the fulcrum member 6 is a spiral spring 7 to close the cover, said spring being contained within the receptacle 1 and having its lowermost windin sealed in an annular groove formed by the inwardly bent lower edge portion of the receptacle 1. The rear face or edge 9 of the fulcrum member 6 is adapted to slide on the upper edge of the receptacle 1 in the opening movement of the cover and is of such a shape that in the opening or closing movement of the cover the pin 8 to which the spring 7 is attached will move parallel or substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle so that the spring 7 will be stretched straight upwards within the receptacle, as will appear from Fig. 2, thus rendering the lever arm by which the spring power acts on the cover with respect to the contact point between the surface 9 and the edge of'the receptacle 1 constant during the whole opening and closing movement, respectively. In the fully opened state of the cover the skirtflange 2 bears against the outer surface of the receptacle, as shown in- Fig. 2. I

In order to prevent the coverfrom being displaced backwardly to a larger extent than that determined by the guiding surface 9 due to carelessness in opening it, or to prevent the cover, after it had been opened, from being swung backwardly beyond the position shown in Fig. 2 whereby the spring might be incapable of closing the cover or overstrained grooves 10 have been formed in the outer surface of the receptacle, as by an impressing or stamping process. The ends. of the ears 5 are angularly bent, to engage said grooves. Said bent ends are, preferably, situated on an axis or line I), Fig. 3, coinciding with the axis of the pin 8 so that also said ends 11 will each move along a straight path, indicated by the line a, Fig. 4, during the opening and closing movements of the cover. The grooves 10 extending along said paths end at a distance from the upper edge of the receptacle 1. r

The engagement of the ends 11 in the grooves 10 prevents any unintended displacement of the cover 1 during its opening or closthe cover from getting into disorder and provides a guarantee for the spring 7 always positively locking the cover when released.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the cover 1 is of the same design as shown in Figs. 13. In this case, however, the guiding ears 12 of the cover do not engage grooves formed in the cup 3 but embrace the cup at impressions 13 formed in the fall of the cup which present backwardly directed plane sur-' faces along which the respeotive'ears move K durin the opening and closing movements of the cover. 7

Said impressions 13 have a position equivalent to that of the grooves 10 in Figs.3 and'4,

and do not extend to the upper edge of the cup but end at a distance therefrom so as to form stops to limit the upward swinging movement of the cover in the same way as described in connection with the description of Figs. 14 in order to thereby prevent unhooking of the cover. In order to guide the cover backwardly during its opening movement two supporting projections 14 are provided on the fulcrum member 6, one at each side of that portion of said member the surface 9 of which is in contact with the upper edge of the cup. Said two projections 14 may, of course, be replaced by a single central art.

As is clearly understood, the transverse pin 8 to hold the spring will perform a rotation around its own axis during its movement- Consequently, by glvlng the up and down. parts 14 an arc-shaped bearing surface having its centre on the axis. of the pin 8; and with such a radius, that the parts 14 rest against the inside of the cup, as shown in Fig. 6, then the parts 14 will rollagainst said side during the opening and closing to form a rear support for the cover in any position thereof. The fulcrum memberG is wider than that shown in Figs. 13 to permit the provision of the supporting parts 14.

Said parts may also be adapted torest against the inner side of the impressions 13, as shown in Fig. 6..

'From Figs. 5 and 6 it is clear that the cover 1, during its opening and closing, is guided forwards partly by the engagement of the surface 9 with the upper edge of the cup and, partly,by the ears 12, engaging one side of the impressions 13. Against backward displacement, the cover is secured by the parts 14, engaging the inner side of the cup, and laterally the cover is guided partly by the ears 12, engaging the backwards directed outer sides of the impressions 13, partly by the parts 14 engaging the backwards directed inner sides of the impressions 13. Any involuntary displacement of the cover, backwards or laterally, during the opening thereof is thus completely avoided. Nor is it possible to turn the cover beyond its full open position, as seen in Fig. 5, as in tryingto do so the ears 12 will come into engagement with the upper end wall of the impressions 13 which also prevents the cover from unhooking when in full open position.

It is obvious that the invention can be carried out in various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

IVhat I claim is:

1. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a coil spring in said receptacle to hold the cover in place, a curved bearing surface on said cover to slide on a marginal portion of the receptacle in the opening and closing of the cover, and means on said receptacle and cover in positive engagement with each other to guide the cover against lateral movements in its opening and closing movements.

2. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a coil spring in said receptacle to hold the cover in place, a curved bearing surface on said cover to slide on a marginal portion of the receptacle in the opening and closing of the cover, and means on said receptacle and cover in positive engagement with each other to guide the cover against lateral movements in its opening and closing movements and positively limit the opening movement of the cover.

3. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a coil spring in said receptacle to hold said cover in place, a bearing surface on said cover to engage a marginal portion'of the receptacle, the curvature of said surface being such as to cause the point of attachment of the spring to the cover to move in a path substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle in the opening and closing movements of the cover, and means on said receptacle and cover in engagement with each other to positively guide the cover against lateral displacement and turning during said movements.

4. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a coil spring in said receptacle to hold the cover in place, a curved bearing surface on the cover to slide on a marginal portion of the receptacle in the opening and closing movements of the cover, and projections on said cover to engage guiding surfaces formed on the receptacle in order to prevent the cover from lateral movements in its opening or closing movement.

5. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a spring in said receptacle to hold the cover in place, a curved bearing surface on the cover to slide on a marginal portion of the receptacle in the opening and closing movements of the cover, and external projections on said cover to engage portions of the outer side of the receptacle Wall to guide the cover against lateral movements and limit the opening movement of the cover. 6. In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a spring in said receptacle to hold the cover in place, a curved bearing surface on the cover to slide on a marginal portion of the receptacle in the opening and closing movements of the cover, external proj ections on said cover to engage portions of the outer side of the receptacle wall, and members on the cover to engage portions of the inner side of the receptacle wall to act in conjunction with said projections to guide the cover against lateral displacement and turning during its opening or closing and to limit the opening movement of the cover. 7 In combination with a receptacle, a hingeless cover, a spring to hold said cover in place, a bearing surface on said cover to engage a marginal portion of the receptacle,

the curvature of said surface being such as to allow the cover to be opened and closed by a swinging movement, causing the point of attachment of the spring to the cover to move in a path substantially parallel to the axis of the receptacle in the opening and closing movements of the cover, and projections on the cover to engage slots formed in the outer side of the receptacle wall which are situated in a plane extending through said path and being perpendicular to the swinging plane of the cover, said slots being closed at theirupper ends to limit the opening movement of the cover.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

GUSTAF A. LINDSTEDT. 

